Assessment of sleepiness and sleep debt in adolescent population in Urban Western India

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence being a crucial and evolving phase of human life is subject to several unique intrinsic and extrinsic stressors contributing to an unstructured and inadequate sleep/wake routine. Its negative impact on cognitive impairment and body mass index has been well documented in the western population, the paucity of Indian literature in our young adults prompted us to undertake this study. Methods: A questionnaire based cross sectional study in school going adolescents aged 13-15 years. Participants completed the Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire as a measure of sleepiness after informed consent and documented hours of sleep obtained. Results: Mean age of the participants was 13.8 years (Age range: 13- 15). Gender ratio of the participants was M:F=3.4:1. Mean CASQ score was 36.3 ± 9.75. Age positively correlated for sleepiness as well as total scores (r=0.257, p<0.001)however gender showed no difference (p=0.769) in this study. Sleepiness statement score positively correlated with hours of sleep with a p value of <0.05. 24.8% of children obtained less than 6 hours of sleep. 43% of adolescents reported falling asleep in class in the morning and 21% felt sleepy while doing their school assignments at home. Conclusion: Indian adolescents like their global counterparts also have excessive daytime somnolence and sleep debt which is largely unrecpatients ognized warranting a study with a larger sample size and intervention with education.